While I was hardwiring my ipod, I took the opportunity to fix several dash squeaks that had been bothering me. Below are some pics on how the dash comes apart.

The left and right trim panels come off first. They're held in by felt-covered metal clips. Pop the panels near the clips with a panel popper (or duct-taped screwdriver), and they come right off. Left side. Note the large rectangular holes:


The clips:


Right side:


The button trim rings pop out first:


Remove the center piece. Panel popper in action:


Then the whole piece comes off (careful with the clear speedo face, it's attached separately to the gauge):


halfway done:


The main sources of the squeaks are the AC vents and the groove where the trim snaps in. I used the nylon surgical tape suggested by another poster. I found a roll of 3/4" width at CVS sold under the 3M Nexcare brand as "Durable Cloth Tape".

You can see how the AC vents snap in. Push the four tabs in and the vent comes out:


I cut the tape in half and wrapped it around the edge. The fit is fairly tight, so I cut away where the tabs are:


Reassembled. The bit of tape that sticks out is covered by the trim ring




I unclipped the trim from the base and lined the edges with tape as well. Some tape also went around the button trim rings (not shown):


Snap everything back together, install the middle pieces first, then the side pieces. Make sure the top edges of the trim are under the dash panel before snapping them in place. Enjoy your much quieter car!

 

Very nice write up and pics. I've am always leery of hidden fasteners, but now that I see exactly what they look like and where they are, I will have a much easier time when I need to do this panel removal.

thanks

YD